Patchwork Universe

John Angelis · Posted: Wed May 05, 2004 8:08 am Post subject: A Golden Boat Arrives

[A golden boat drifts through the mists to the east, and finds itself near the shore of a lake that barely protrudes from the mists. The boat contains John Angelis and Avinneyya. They are talking.]

John looked up as the boat glided through the mist, and saw the floating island above the golden city.

"Ah, here. This is the place I mentioned. When last I was here, there were three mist travellers here. Perhaps we should see if they're still here?"

Avinneyya · Posted: Wed May 05, 2004 8:41 pm Post subject:

"Yes, I think that it would be good if we were to do that, John Angelis." Avinneyya said, as the Boat aligned itself with the shore.
The mists transcend time and space... that would explain much. And only certain people can cross them-that would explain why the Birds had not entered the next patch. Avinneyya thought.
"Will the people that you mentioned be within the City? I would propose that we look to find them there" He said, lightly jumping from the Boat.
The fact that a large island was hanging in the sky less than two miles away completely failed to perturb him.

John Angelis · Posted: Wed May 05, 2004 9:33 pm Post subject:

"Definately the city. Although clearly we'll need a better plan than walking around the city and hoping. The girl I met who was local was wearing some kind of uniform. If we can find out what the uniform means, maybe we can track her down that way."

John dug around in his backpack, and withdrew a couple of chocolate bars. He then settled his pack on his shoulders, and began the walk to the city.

"Want one?" he said, offering one to Avinneyya. "They've got caramel and nuts in them."

Meirian · Good Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Posts: 40 Location: The Academy

[OOC: In case you haven't been following the other thread, I've added a sticky with a description of the inside of the city]

Avinneyya · Posted: Thu May 06, 2004 9:59 pm Post subject:

"I thank you" Avinneyya said as he accepted the strange food John had offered him, and clumsily unwrapped it. As the two travellers walked into Alcos, Avinneyya slowly ate his candy bar.

Perhaps Avinneyya's small figure was proportioned slightly differently from before, perhaps it was slighly more angular, and perhaps his eyes were slighly larger than they had been. Or perhaps not. it could have just been a trick of the light.

John Angelis · Posted: Fri May 07, 2004 6:23 pm Post subject:

The two walked together in companionable fashion, walking through the city until they reached a busy, bustling market square.

John looked about, trying to spot a uniform similar to the one he had seen Merian wearing. Once he spotted one, he approached the woman wearing it.

"Good afternoon," he began. "I hope you'll forgive me asking, but I'm a stranger here. Could you tell me what your uniform signifies? Only I met a woman wearing a very similar uniform yesterday, I very much need to speak to her again, and I thought perhaps I might ask after her at her place of work."

Meirian · Good Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Posts: 40 Location: The Academy

The young girl blinked very fast and nervously. Her hair was orange, and formed plaits, which wound themselves into small balls on the top of her head before drifting downwards, and her black eyes were particularly large, even for here. She clasped her hands in front of her and stared downwards.

"Er.. it's th.. the Academy uniform, Sempai." she replied shyly.

John Angelis · Posted: Sat May 08, 2004 6:56 pm Post subject:

"Aha. And where would I find the Academy? That's not it is it?" asked John, pointing at the floating island.

Meirian · Good Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Posts: 40 Location: The Academy

Astonishment was clearly evident.

"Well... of course it is; what else would be floating in the middle of the sky? Errr.... Sempai."

"You can get there from the tower" she added, pointing to the large red-and-white triangle underneath the centre of the Academy.

John Angelis · Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 2:06 pm Post subject:

"Like I say. I'm a visitor. From abroad."

"I'm looking for someone called Meirian, by the way. Might you have heard of her? She told me she was a scientist."

Meirian · Good Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Posts: 40 Location: The Academy

"Oh - yes! She's a physics professor, she teaches me sometimes. I'll take you to her rooms if you don't know the way" Smiling eagerness has, for now, replaced the shy nervousness. "I'm Shima by the way"

John Angelis · Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 7:38 pm Post subject:

"Lovely to meet you, Shima. I'm John. John Angelis. And yes, please, if you could show us the way to her rooms, that would be most helpful."

John wondered whether to introduce Avinneyya. He wasn't a man to be casual with another man's name.

"My friend and I have heard of your city from other travellers. Tell me, how is it that the island stays 'up'?"

Avinneyya · Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 8:42 pm Post subject:

The three began to move in the direction of the Academy. Avinneyya listened intently to the conversation: Shima's response to John's question would tell him a lot about the nature of the quilt. He waited patiently to enter the conversation.

Meirian · Good Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Posts: 40 Location: The Academy

"Well... to be honest, I'm not sure. It's because of a science experiment that happened 30 years or so back; they keep it running still - else it'd fall down, which would be a bit of a disaster!"

John Angelis · Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 9:24 am Post subject:

John looked up somewhat nervously at the island. It was one thing for a patch to run by implausible magic, quite another to be told that the massive rock hovering over you was held up by a failed science experient.

'Still,' he thought, 'onward.'

The group followed Shima through the city with Shima, wondering how far it was to Meirian's rooms.